


Stay; Rewritten

by translevi



Series: red string [2]
Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Police, Homeless Levi Ackerman, M/M, Nonbinary Hange Zoë, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Slow Burn, Trans Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Trans Male Character, an uncomfortable number of commas, way too many descriptions
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-09
Updated: 2021-03-08
Packaged: 2021-03-15 14:56:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,082
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29935131
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/translevi/pseuds/translevi
Summary: "I'll suck your dick if you let me stay with you this winter."Carefully crafted mask aside, all Erwin can do is gape, brows drawn together as he stared. He opens and closes his mouth a few times, shock giving way to confusion and concern as the other man sighed roughly, wrapping his arms around his waist."Excuse me?" Erwin asks, because he doesn't know what else to say.(Rewrite ofStay)
Relationships: Levi Ackerman/Erwin Smith
Series: red string [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/894612
Comments: 5
Kudos: 31





	Stay; Rewritten

**Author's Note:**

> looking for a beta! go yell at me on my new [writing twitter](https://twitter.com/translevi) if u wanna ask questions or see snippets of chapters before they get uploaded

Levi is a careful person.

He had to be, given his way of life. Careless decisions could not be afforded if he were to survive. Every day was unknown, a challenge in it of itself. He did what he had to do to survive. He dug from dumpsters, kept an old backpack full of his things, was careful with any money he could come by. He is careful in choosing the men he goes home with, and careful in cleaning himself before slipping away.

Winter is a time where he must show utmost care.

He had been to the shelters, been to their city funded programs, tried, and then failed. He couldn't stand sharing space with so many people, so crowded. He just wasn't a people person, and he could survive on his own - leave the handouts for those who couldn't.

People die in shelters, they die elsewhere, they die overnight, huddled on broken cardboard laid out over the cement, desperate for anything to separate them from the cold ground. 

Levi makes do with what he has; moments of respite stolen in the homes of strangers, taking little things that go unnoticed to pawn them for a warm meal. He is alone and hungry, cold, and sickly, but he survives. It is better this way. That's all he can tell himself, that it's better this way.

winter sets in and he is still adrift, bouncing from one alley to another, curling in on himself and his thin coat as it gets colder and colder. survival instincts whisper in his head, promises of resting in an early grave just like his mother. It's only going to get colder - if the weather man is to be believed—and it gets more and more dangerous the later in the day he waits, leaning against the side of a building and smoking. The flicking lighter and burning cigarette breathing heat into his lungs. He's shivering still, but the cold has set in enough that he just feels numb, another bad sign, he knows.

He's not stupid, he won't stay months with a total stranger. He had once, and it had ended.... Well, he doesn't want to think about it, not in the last wisps of daylight. Perhaps it will haunt him tonight when he closed his eyes—possibly for the last time if he does not find shelter somewhere.

His fingers shake, and he stops to glance at them, glancing at the blue tinted skin sitting under his bitten nails.

The clock across the street reads 6:12 PM, and Levi takes another shaky drag of his cigarette, inhaling a touch too quick and having to stifle a cough. It shouldn't be long now. 

So he waits.

///

Erwin is an observant person. 

He had to be in his line of work, even a single misunderstood clue could change someone's verdict from innocent to guilty, and vice verse. There was no place for mistakes in the line of duty. He had to be open and perceptive at all times, from the lies of those he questioned to the pleas of a victims family. Humans rarely ever told the truth, the _complete_ truth.

They're secretive creatures, he'd reason, carefully flipping through the scraps of evidence he had to form a complete picture. Each case had lent itself to his experience, indulging himself in the mysteries of life, the pieces of people he collected every day. Most of his accomplishments stemmed from curiosity, a trait he shared with his father, according to his mother. 

Erwin is a perceptive, curious man, 

It was the field work he enjoyed the most, talking to victims, questioning subjects, observing the crime scene. The web the world wove was an intricate one, and humanity was always spinning. Everything was connected, he merely had to understand how. He had been good at his job, and that had led him higher and higher, climbing from officer to detective, sergeant, lieutenant, and his mind had led him even higher. to deputy police chief, acting as Shadis' right hand man. It was no secret he coveted the position of chief, and no doubt something that would come to him in time.

Patience was said to be a virtue, to Erwin it is a vice.

It's Friday when Mike takes a stand and finally kicks him out of the office an hour after his shift had ended. Erwin had tried very tactfully to point out that Mike was still there as well, and Mike had heard none of it, shooing him out the second Erwin had his briefcase packed, a smile on both of their lips.

Erwin allowed very few people into his life, but Mike was someone he had known since childhood, someone he considered a treasured addition to his inner circle. It was only Mike he allowed to manhandle him like this, and, Erwin reasoned, it was good for him to get out of the office occasionally; to remind himself what 'normal people did', as Mike had put it.

This is their routine, every Friday Mike would barge into his office and send him away, and Erwin would allow it, just as Mike allowed him to overwork himself the rest of the week. Though he knew his friend was not pleased with that, he still allowed Erwin his vices, so long as Mike was allowed to provide him with reality checks every so often.

So as he leaves the building, instead of heading towards the underground parking lot, he heads towards the door, making his way towards the coffee shop he went to every Friday, where he would pass by the stranger he'd seen the last _two_ Fridays now.

Erwin is an observant person.

He knows when he's being watched

It is not robbery he fears, the man, although very fond of glaring, did not appear physically threatening. If Erwin had to guess he would wager he was simply homeless and looking for "hipsters" or righteous people that flooded in and out of the coffee shop to give him a quick buck. Though Erwin had never seen him ask for one.

It was also very possible the man just hated cops, plenty homeless did, and they had very good reason to.

Erwin can see him in the distance, still leaning against the wall in the billowing cold. It was only a short walk, but already Erwin found himself missing the heat of his station. Sympathy tugged at the strings in his chest, and whether he asked or not, Erwin resolved himself to offer at least _something_ before he passed him. He was not one to consider himself a saint, quite the opposite, actually, but he would not turn away from someone in need.

He gets closer and the man straightens up, making eye contact as he dropped his cigarette on the ground and snuffed it out with his shoes. Littering, but Erwin would not comment on it. He gets a few steps closer and schools his features into a charming smile, sentence poised on his tongue, ready to offer his money or his time when the other man speaks first, flooring Erwin.

"I'll suck your dick if you let me stay with you this winter."

Carefully crafted mask aside, all Erwin can do is gape, brows drawn together as he stared. He opens and closes his mouth a few times, shock giving way to confusion and concern as the other man sighed roughly, wrapping his arms around his waist.

"Excuse me?" Erwin asks, because he doesn't know what else to say.

“The rest of November all the way to whenever the weather decides to un-fuck itself in March." The stranger says, glancing behind himself before turning his attention back to Erwin. "You can use me anyway you want, however many times as you want as long as you let me stay. Take it or leave it blondie.”

Erwin blinks, for all his careful thought and planning, he was woefully underprepared for what it would actually be like to interact with the man. Nevertheless, he would adapt, he was good at that.

Thin clothing, worn, homeless by admittance. It was cold, too cold for him to stay. A shelter? No, he was always alone, no doubt the loner time. Mistrust was deeply sown in some of the homeless communities. Perhaps he was to be robbed? Except, he must know that Erwin is a cop, it would be much easier to find someone else and achieve a better result. Cops do not have a good salary, there would be nothing worth stealing that he was aware of.

Nevermind Erwin's unique circumstances.

So, Erwin clears his throat, straightens himself once more, and takes control.

"You-"

"Levi." The man interrupts, because of course he does.

"Levi," Erwin begins, trying to keep his tone even. "Are you aware that prostitution is illegal?"

And the man—Levi—scowls, pushing himself off the wall and pulling his backpack up higher onto his shoulder. "If I'm in jail at least I'm somewhere warm. How much time do I get for assaulting a cop?"

"Battery against an officer is a misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in jail." Erwin answered automatically, taking a moment before adding on. "Though I suppose it could be a felony depending on what you intend to do to me."

This only serves to make Levi's scowl deeper, and the smaller man scoffed, turning to face the street instead of Erwin, one leg turned to face the opposite direction, trying to give the impression that he was able to walk away at any moment. He was, of course, but Erwin was willing to bet that at least part of it was for show.

"Is this a fucking joke to you?" Levi asks, tilting his chin up to glare at Erwin.

"Of course not, I take threats towards my person very seriously. In fact I think you should come down with me to the precinct."

It is here where Levi falters, eyes quickly darting from Erwin to the open space around them. It is here where Erwin tests him.

He's not going to make any move to chase Levi should he run, and he's not going to look for him if he does. Assuming Levi is even his real name. All Erwin wants to know is the truth; what does Levi want?

Levi meets his gaze again, and answers the challenge with resigned acceptance. No doubt Levi has been here for some time, he must be cold, tired.

If he's in jail, at least he's somewhere warm.

Levi doesn't have the chance to answer first, when Erwin shakes his head and sighs, already running through the logistics in his mind. "You said you needed a place to stay for the winter, correct."

Cautious now, Levi looks at him again, hard, letting the silence drag between them. He scans Erwin's face before giving a quick nod, still closed off with his body language.

"Very well, can I interest you in a coffee before we head back to the precinct? My car is still parked there."

Levi relaxed, if only a little. "Fine," he said, turning the rest of the way to head towards the door. "But you're paying."

///

Levi is tense from the moment they walk into the shop, to the moment they are returning to the precinct, following Erwin's lead as he slipped through the building, thankfully unnoticed by his coworkers before taking the elevator down to the parking lot. 

He's a careful person, Erwin notes, watching out of the corner of his eyes as Levi held his drink, both hands wrapped around the sides. That most likely had something to do with the heat as well. Levi's face was dusted red, with a sprinkling of it on his ears. Something that Erwin would find cute in any other circumstance. It does not register as such now, now it only makes him feel... sad.

"My car is over here." Erwin said, finally breaking the silence that had settled over them since he had asked Levi's order; a hot black tea, no cream, no sugar. He gestured to an old black ford, parked in the same spot he parked it in every day. He was a man of routine if nothing else. 

Levi only grunted, and that was that for the conversation as Erwin led the way over to his car, pulling out his keys to unlock it. The clicking seemed to echo in the near empty lot, and something about the sound leaves Erwin on edge. This was a stranger he was taking into his home after all, one that wouldn't be easily tracked, yet he considered himself a good judge of character, and Levi did not seem like a thug. 

Erwin climbs in and busies himself with his end of things, placing his drink in the cupholder, buckling his seatbelt, leaving Levi to handle himself in whatever way made him comfortable.

What ended up being comfortable for Levi, was an unbuckled seatbelt, with one hand on the door's release at all time. Erwin started the car, turned the heat onto full, and pulled out of the lot to make the drive home.

The drive passes like much of the walk did—in silence. Levi makes no noise except for when he took small drinks of his tea, silent enough that Erwin could almost forget he was there, were his presence not so overwhelmingly jarring.

Levi has nothing to say, and Erwin does not press him.

///

When they arrive at his condo's parking, Erwin slows to a stop outside the gate, taking his keycard from his wallet and letting the machine scan it. It beeps with a positive green light, and the gate breaks open. Beside him, he can hear Levi scoff. Despite himself, it brings a smile to Erwin's lips, almost bashful of the ridiculous presentation to his building.

"The first elevator," He begins, pulling into his condo's registered spot, "Will take us up to the main lobby, after that we have to switch to a different elevator to head up to the actual apartments.

Looking at it from where Levi was sitting next to him, the entire 'security' measures in place just seemed incredibly anti-homeless, as was most things in their city. He had been working on legislation to help with crime and the homeless population, but Levi serves as a reminder to work on it harder, to get it out faster, better. All Erwin could hope for tomorrow is that he would be better than he was yesterday.

Perhaps he had been behind the desk too much, maybe Mike was right, maybe he did need to be face-to-face with real people every now and then.

They park and get out, and Levi is quick to view the garage around him, scanning the dark corners and empty spaces. A survival instinct, one that Erwin also employed when he was on field duty.

There is familiarity in Levi's actions, something he's seen in the older members on the force, the beginnings of memories, always surfacing unbidden. Things that would have been better left forgotten.

The cold of the garage is oppressive when compared to the heat of the car, and Levi scowls at it too, curling in on himself and once again wrapping both hands around his tea, letting out a huff of air that he could watch disappear into the air.

"Right this way." Erwin says, what he hoped to be a disarming smile on his face.

It doesn't matter to Levi either way, and the scowl remains plastered on his face until they get into the heated elevator, then Erwin watches as the scowl slowly gives way to something more neutral. Levi does not stop shivering, Erwin does not comment.

"If my home is to your liking then I can see about getting another key made for you." Establish trust, put yourself in the victim's shoes. Express sympathy.

Levi spares him a glance, but otherwise says nothing as they step out into the lobby, choosing instead to follow Erwin's lead over to the other set of elevators. He looks out of place there, in his tattered clothing next to Erwin's suit and tie.

Erwin smiles at the elevator attendant. The instinct arises to use his body to block Levi from the man's—Tim, Erwin remembers—inquisitive gaze, instead Erwin draws attention to him, despite the crease in Levi's brow showing his displeasure.

"Tim, this is Levi. He'll be staying with me for a time." 

"Of course, sir." Tim says, smiling right back. There is more he wants to know, and Erwin will not tell him. Let him partake in the gossip of the others in the building. Erwin will keep to himself, despite the source of gossip that creates.

It is when they enter the second elevator that he notices Levi grimacing, tentatively placing one hand on the railing around the edge. Right, of course Levi wouldn't be familiar with elevators.

"You get used to it." Erwin offers kindly, and gets a glare for his efforts.

The ride up isn't long, for Erwin at least. Levi remains close to the railing the entire ride, a white knuckled grip on the metal until finally the elevator slows to a stop.

"This way." Erwin steps out, lingering in the hallway as Levi pulled himself away from the railing, slipping out and casting a suspicious eye back at the doors as they slowly made to close behind him. Levi huffed before continuing to follow Erwin, walking the windowed hall to the door at the end.

The hallways have cameras, There's no way Levi could run off before being apprehended. He could probably make it to the phone to alert the front desk should Levi try to murder him.

Well, thoughts for later. At the very least Erwin would lock his door when he went to bed that night, assuming Levi stayed.

Erwin unlocked the door and stepped in, holding the door open for Levi to follow suit. He does, and jerks to a stop when the room sets in.

The condo is an open floorplan, with the kitchen immediately to the left of the entrance, opposite of that is the living room, next to it, the dining room. Going straight from the door would take you into the short T shaped hallway, leading to Erwin's office, the laundry room, bathroom, guest bedroom, and master bedroom respectively.

"What the fuck," Are of course, the first words out of Levi's mouth, and Erwin watches with faint amusement as he steps further in, looking up towards the high ceilings before finally dragging his gaze to Erwin's favorite part of his home; the windows.

Across the entire wall in the living room and kitchen were floor-to-ceiling windows, curtains drawn in the dining room but otherwise left open in the living room. It was the first thing he saw whenever he came home, and the last thing he checked before he left, the wide cityline stretched out in the horizon. It was beautiful in the morning when the sun was peaking through the skyscrapers, and wonderful in the evening when neon signs split through the darkness. New York never slept, and he with it.

"You're a fucking cop." Levi says, not pulling his gaze away from the windows. "How the fuck can you afford this?"

"It was my mother's home, actually. She gave it to me when she decided to move down south." Erwin explained, taking his coat off to hang on the coatrack. The suit jacket comes off next, and he carefully folds it over his arm, coming to stand next to Levi at the edge of the living room. "It was too cold for her bones up here, you see."

Levi glances at him when Erwin steps closer, but doesn't move away, instead continuing to stare out the windows. Neon slips in, bright against the darkness of the condo, flashing signs and the busy city below quiet now at a distance.

"It's beautiful, isn't it." Erwin says, soft. It's this view that had kept him moving forward when he was young, when things were so dark. There had been times when the only light he had was from the city. His city.

Levi is silent for a time, eventually shouldering his backpack higher and taking a step or two back, turning his body but not looking away. "It's okay." He says, finally.

Erwin smiles, and moves for the lightswitch, flicking on the overhead lights for the hallway and living room, washing the rooms in a warm glow.

"I was thinking Chinese for dinner, do you have a preference?"

Levi just shrugs, and that answers Erwin's question well enough. "I like white rice."

"Just rice?" Erwin responds, toeing off his shoes.

"Whatever else you want to get me. Rice is good when you're hungry and want to eat a thousand of something."

Erwin considers that. "True."

Levi follows suit in taking off his shoes, and when doing so Erwin can see the patched hole on the bottom of his right foot, something that will need managed should Levi decide to stay here. Duct tape was a pore replacement for a sole.

The windows catch Levi's attention again, and Erwin is fine with that. It gives him time to pull away, to lay his jacket over the back of the couch and pull out his phone, going to check the numbers scrawled on paper stuck to the fridge. Chinese, two orders of chicken with vegetables, and extra rice.

///

Levi lingers in the entryway for a time, eventually pushing his shoes into the corner next to Erwin's and stepping onto the carpeted floor. He wanders, cautiously, for lack of a better thing to do, going through what was on display in Erwin's home.

It's... expensive, and the view is beautiful. Not that Levi would admit that to Erwin, but it's nice, and it's warm, and although Levi doesn't feel safe, he is at least secure. For the night.

Though the cleanliness of the house could use some work. A thought he considers as he drags a finger along the topside of the dining room table, scowling at the dust it leaves on his skin. Aside from that there are old takeout containers scattered about, some on the coffee table, some in the kitchen. If Levi had a house, somewhere he could call home, he'd never treat it like this. It's a thought that sours his mood, and his impression of Erwin.

People don't know what they have, and they mistreat it because they don't have to care. Disgusting.

"Levi, I ordered for you, I hope that was alright."

Asking, as if he isn't paying.

"Yeah sure, thanks."

"If you'd follow me, I can show you to the guest bedroom."

Levi nods and does so, letting Erwin lead him down the hallway and to the right. "This door leads to the guest bedroom, and this room right across is my bedroom. The bathroom is the middle door."

Levi nods, stepping into the guest bedroom and taking a look around. It's not bad, clean, if dusty. Just a bed with a nightstand and a simple wardrobe. It was more than Levi had had in a long time. He's careful when he steps forward, running his hand across the grey bedspread, dragging his eyes over the stripes of blue coloring it.

"I'll leave you to unpack, dinner should be here in about 20 minutes."

"Thanks, Erwin."

"Of course, Levi."

And with nothing else to say, Erwin leaves. Levi holds himself steady until the door is firmly shut, letting out an exhale as all the strength left him, dropping his backpack on the floor and falling face first onto the bed. He could cry, he really could.

Erwin hadn't asked anything of him yet, but that could change. For now, Levi will take it one day at a time, one shower at a time, one warm meal at a time.

He'll eat, then take a shower, and then go to bed, and for once he will be warm and...

Levi gets him abruptly, making his way back over to the door to test the knob, he can't help the relief that floods him when he finds a lock, and promptly flips it before going back to the bed, crawling on top of it and curling up, pressing his face into the pillow.

This will be fine, for now.

It would occur to Erwin later, that he had never given Levi his name.

**Author's Note:**

> chapter one is out! and the difference in quality is So Much. I have no idea when the next chapter will be because i am in college and working right now but i've said it before and i'll say it again: this fic will be finished. ive got a lot of little plots running around in my head that im excited to put out there. thank you all for sticking with this fic for so long, and i hope you'll enjoy the rewrite!!


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